Patient questions

Many insurers ask for a GP referral before they authorise a consultation, so check with your insurer first. If you are paying for yourself, you can contact the practice directly without one. If you do have a referral letter, please bring it or send it to the practice.

Some consultations may be recorded and transcribed with AI dictation, also called ambient voice technology. It listens to the conversation and drafts your clinic letter, so Mr Jepson can give you his full attention rather than taking notes.

It is only used with your permission. Mr Jepson reads and checks every letter before it is sent. You can say no at any time, and saying no does not affect your care.

More about Carebit and AI dictation is in the patient portal guide on this page.

Call the practice on 01604 633730, book online at Three Shires (opens in a new tab), or email enquiries@upperlimb.co.uk. You can also use the enquiry form on the contact page.

Mr Jepson holds private clinics at Circle Three Shires Hospital in Northampton and Woodland Hospital in Kettering. Addresses and directions for both are on the clinic locations page.

• Your insurance details and pre-authorisation code, if you are insured
• A list of the medicines you take
• Reports from any previous scans, and where they were done

The contact page explains how to send scans in advance.

Yes. You are welcome to bring a relative or friend to your consultation, and many patients find it helps to have a second person listening. If you have any particular needs, let the team know when you get in touch.

Yes. You are welcome to bring a friend or relative with you, and you can also ask for a chaperone for any examination. A trained member of the hospital staff can be present with you.

Let the practice team know when you book your appointment, or simply ask on the day. You can also ask for an examination to stop at any time.

Mr Jepson is recognised by the major UK insurers, including Aviva, Allianz, The Exeter, First Health and Healix. The full list is in the insurance section of the homepage. If your insurer is not shown, call the practice and the team will check for you.

Before your first appointment, call your insurer, describe the problem and give them Mr Jepson's name and GMC number, 4104128. They will give you a pre-authorisation code to pass to the practice. Scans and surgery usually need their own authorisation. The homepage insurance steps explain each stage.

You can book a consultation without insurance at Circle Three Shires or Woodland Hospital. If a scan or procedure is recommended, it is explained to you first, and you receive a written quote from the hospital before you decide. The self-pay steps are set out on the homepage.

Costs depend on the hospital and on what your treatment involves, so prices are not listed on this website. Self-pay patients always receive a written quote before a procedure. For anything else, call the practice and the team will explain what to expect.

Please tell the practice team about any previous scans when you book, including X-rays, ultrasounds, MRI and CT scans. Say where each one was done (the hospital or clinic, and whether NHS or private) and roughly when.

The team will arrange for the images and reports to be transferred to Mr Jepson on your behalf, so you do not need to request them or bring discs. This usually takes 1 to 3 days, so the sooner you let the team know, the more likely they will be ready for your appointment.

If you already have copies of your scan reports, you can also upload them yourself through your online patient portal. The patient portal guide on this page shows you how.

Not always. Many problems can be diagnosed from your symptoms, an examination and an X-ray. If more detail is needed, Mr Jepson may suggest an ultrasound, MRI, MR arthrogram or CT scan, and will explain why. The imaging guide describes each one.

MRI uses a strong magnet rather than X-rays. Tell the team if you have a pacemaker, metal implants or fragments, or may be pregnant, as these can affect which scan is suitable. Safety for each scan is covered in the imaging guide.

Yes. Some injections are given by a radiologist using ultrasound or X-ray to place the needle accurately, for example for frozen shoulder or calcific tendonitis. The imaging guide explains guided injections.

Almost always. Nearly all of Mr Jepson's shoulder, elbow, hand and wrist operations are day cases, so you go home the same day. Someone will need to drive you home. Occasionally an overnight stay is advised, and you will know this in advance. See your day of surgery.

Yes. Before your operation the hospital checks your general health and medicines, in person or by phone, and tells you which tablets to stop or keep taking. The day of surgery timeline explains when this happens.

Consent is a conversation with Mr Jepson about the benefits, risks and alternatives of your operation, so you can make the decision that is right for you. The practice uses Concentric, a secure digital consent system, so you receive a link to read about your operation at home, ask questions and record your decision. Consent is confirmed with you again on the day, and you can change your mind at any time; the full explanation is in your day of surgery guide.

For a general anaesthetic you will usually stop eating some hours before, while clear fluids are allowed until nearer the time. Always follow the times in your hospital's admission letter. Typical nil by mouth guidance is set out in your day of surgery guide.

It depends on the operation. Options include a general anaesthetic, a regional nerve block that numbs the arm while you are awake or sedated, or local anaesthetic for smaller hand operations. Blocks are often combined with a general anaesthetic. The options are explained in your day of surgery guide.

A consultant anaesthetist, who meets you before your operation to talk through the options and answer your questions. You can read about the anaesthetists Mr Jepson works with on the About page.

Each condition has its own guide covering the treatment options, what the operation involves and recovery. Find yours on the shoulder, elbow, hand and wrist conditions page.

There is no set time. It varies from person to person, and depends on your operation, whether you need a sling or splint, and how quickly your movement returns.

UK rules expect drivers to use both hands on the steering wheel unless the DVLA has given specific permission otherwise, so you must not drive one-handed.

• After shoulder surgery, the recommended time in your sling is the minimum before you consider driving again.
• After hand or wrist surgery, you need to be out of any splint and able to grip the wheel firmly.

You must be able to react safely in an emergency. You are responsible for being in control of the car at all times, and should be able to show this if you are stopped by the police.

Do not drive while taking strong painkillers that can make you drowsy, such as opioids, or for at least 24 hours after an anaesthetic.

You only need to tell the DVLA if problems affecting safe driving are likely to last more than three months after your surgery.

Before you drive again, check with Mr Jepson, your physiotherapist or hand therapist, and your motor insurer. More on recovering at home is in the aftercare guide.

Your wound check and review with Mr Jepson are normally arranged before you go home, and the timing depends on your operation. If you have not heard about an appointment, contact the practice and the team will arrange it.

During office hours, call the practice on 01604 633730. Out of hours, call the hospital where you had your operation, using the number on your discharge paperwork. In an emergency, such as chest pain or difficulty breathing, call 999. Other ways to reach us are on the contact page.

Get in touch if you notice increasing pain, a red, hot or leaking wound, a high temperature, or numbness or colour change in your fingers that does not settle once a nerve block wears off. What to watch for and when to call is set out in the aftercare guide.

First check that you are using the email address you gave the practice. If you have changed your email address, or it still does not work, call the practice on 01604 633730 or email enquiries@upperlimb.co.uk and the team will sort it out with you.

Letters and results appear in your dashboard once they are released to you. Mr Jepson reads and checks each letter before it is sent, so there can be a short wait after your appointment. If you are expecting something and it has not appeared, contact the practice.

A clear, well-lit photo of a wound, lump or swelling can be especially helpful, as can a photo showing how far a finger or joint bends or straightens. Take it in good light and close enough to see the detail.

No. The portal is there to make things easier for you. If you would rather not use it, let the practice team know when you get in touch and they will talk you through other options.

The simplest first step is to speak to Mr Jepson or the practice team. Many concerns can be resolved quickly with a conversation or an explanation. The ways to reach the team are on the contact page.

If you would like to make a formal complaint, please write to the practice by email. Explain what happened, when, and what you would like to happen next. The practice email address is on the contact page.

Your complaint will be acknowledged, then looked into carefully and fairly. You will receive a written response explaining what was found and any action taken.

Complaints about your care during a hospital stay can also be raised with the hospital, Circle Three Shires Hospital or Woodland Hospital, under its own complaints procedure.

If you remain unhappy once the hospital has responded, it can explain whether independent review is available, for example through ISCAS (the Independent Sector Complaints Adjudication Service) where the hospital is a member.

Please raise any concern about how your personal information is handled with the practice first. If you are still unhappy, you can take it to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). Your rights are set out in the privacy notice.

No. Making a complaint never affects the care you receive, now or in the future.